The incidence rate and the early management of rheumatoid arthritis in Slovenia

Clinical Rheumatology - Epidemiological data for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differ according to ethnicity and geographical region. Moreover, despite of clear RA management guidelines, the...     

The incidence of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies in the adult Slovenian population

Clinical Rheumatology - Idiopathic Inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are rare disorders. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of IIM in a well-defined Slovenian region. This...     

MicroRNA expression in the affected skin of adult patients with IgA vasculitis

Clinical Rheumatology - IgA vasculitis (IgAV) represents a common systemic vasculitis in pediatric and adult population. Our current knowledge of disease pathogenesis is still very limited, without...     

The frequency and characteristics of ultrasonographic ankle joint involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus: A prospective cross-sectional single-center study

The involvement of ankles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been widely studied. The aim of our prospective study was to determine the characteristics of the ankle joint and tendon involvement in SLE using ultrasound (US) as an imaging modality. Sixty consecutive patients with SLE underwent a detailed clinical evaluation and US examination. Gray-scale and power Doppler US of the bilateral tibiotalar (TT) joints, subtalar (ST) joints, and ankle tendons were performed using a multiplanar scanning technique. Joint effusion, synovitis, tenosynovitis, enthesitis, and vascularization were assessed according to the OMERACT recommendations. The Total Ankle Ultrasound Score (TAUSS) was calculated as the sum of the grades of joint effusion and synovial hypertrophy for both TT and ST joints bilaterally (ranging from 0–24) and power Doppler activity was assessed separately. Finally, US findings were correlated with physical evaluation, laboratory parameters, and SLE activity scores. US ankle joint involvement was present in 32/60 (53.3%) patients. TT joints were affected in 26 (43.3%) and ST joints in 16 (26.7%) patients. Thirteen (21.7%) patients had US tendons and/or enthesal involvement. TT joint effusion was the most frequent finding, present in 55/240 (22.9%) examined joints, followed by synovial hypertrophy detected in 18/240 (7.5%) joints. The median (interquartile range; range) TAUSS of the US-affected joints was 1 (0–2; range 1–10). There were no significant correlations between US findings and inflammatory parameters or serological parameters of disease activity, but we found a weak positive correlation between TAUSS and the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (r = 0.281, P = .029). This study revealed a high prevalence of pathological US ankle changes in patients with SLE and a positive correlation between ankle US involvement and disease activity score (European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement).     

Ultrasonographic changes of major salivary glands in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Evaluation of a novel scoring system

The aim of our study was to determine the reproducibility of a new semi-quantitative scoring system based on ultrasonographic (US) evaluation of structural changes of salivary glands in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). US evaluation of parotid and submandibular glands was performed in 28 SS patients and 29 control subjects independently by two blinded observers. Echogenicity, delineation of glandular borders and sonographic structure (homogeneity, hypoechoic areas, hyperechoic foci) of salivary glands were semi-quantitatively assessed and the final US score calculated. Inter-observer variability was determined by Cohen's test. A high degree of inter-observer agreement was found regarding the final US score (0.90) and in the assessment of glandular homogeneity (0.90), echogenicity (0.88) and hypoechoic areas (0.88). This study showed good reproducibility of the US evaluation of salivary glands using our novel scoring system. This may have important implications on the diagnostic algorithm in patients with SS.     

The incidence of giant cell arteritis in Slovenia

Clinical Rheumatology - Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis in adults aged ≥ 50 years in Europe. Recently, colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDS) and...     

Gene and miRNA expression in giant cell arteritis—a concise systematic review of significantly modified studies

Clinical Rheumatology - Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis in individuals older than 50 years, characterized by headaches, visual disturbances, painful scalp, jaw...     

Utility of serological biomarkers for giant cell arteritis in a large cohort of treatment-naïve patients

Clinical Rheumatology - Early diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is crucial for preventing ischemic complications. Multiple serological markers have been identified; however,...     

Diagnostic performance of Sjögren’s Syndrome Screening Questionnaire (SSSQ)

Clinical Rheumatology -